Marshal Black Porcelain Tile starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a high-gloss marble-look floor from Alon Floors that makes a deliberate visual statement. Part of the Alon Floors Porcelain Collection, it brings a deep charcoal ground with the surface movement of marble, finished to a mirror-bright sheen. This is a tile that earns its place in rooms where the floor is meant to be noticed.
Porcelain is one of the most practical choices for Southwest Florida homes, and Marshal Black leans into that. The tile body is naturally impervious to moisture, which matters on concrete slab foundations where vapor migration is a real concern. High humidity, salt air near the coast, and the temperature swings that come with seasonal living don’t degrade porcelain the way they can wood-based floors.
The high-gloss finish does show footprints and dust more readily than a matte surface, so this tile rewards households willing to stay on top of cleaning. It works well in entryways, main living areas, primary bathrooms, and anywhere you want the floor to anchor the design rather than recede into the background.
| Size | 600×1200, 800×800 |
|---|---|
| Finish | High Glossy |
| Look | Marble |
Flooring Queen installs Marshal Black at $8.99 per square foot. That price covers delivery to your home, removal and disposal of your existing floor covering, standard subfloor preparation, full tile installation, baseboard reinstallation, and transition strips between rooms. You get one straightforward number, not a base rate with a long list of surprises at the end.
A few situations do carry upcharge potential: significant floor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing, custom borders, or decorative inset patterns. Flooring Queen offers a free in-home measure and a written quote before any work is scheduled, so you know exactly what your project will cost.
Marshal Black is a true porcelain tile; Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) is a multi-layer synthetic product with a photographic film layer. Both handle moisture well in Southwest Florida homes, but they behave differently under your feet and under heavy use.
Porcelain wins on long-term durability — it won’t dent, the color goes through the body rather than sitting on a wear layer, and it doesn’t react to prolonged UV exposure. LVP wins on comfort (it’s warmer and softer to stand on), cost, and installation speed. Porcelain’s grout lines require occasional sealing; LVP has no grout at all. If budget is the primary driver and you want a softer feel underfoot, LVP is a reasonable alternative. If you want a floor that genuinely resembles stone and will still look the same in twenty years, porcelain is the better choice.
| Marshal Black | Luxury Vinyl Plank | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Fully waterproof tile body | Waterproof surface; seams can allow moisture |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | Extremely hard; color through full body | Wear layer can scratch over time |
| Comfort underfoot | Hard, cool to the touch | Softer, warmer underfoot |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | From $3.99/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Living areas, baths, entryways | Bedrooms, whole-home installs |
Marshal Black’s glossy porcelain surface is straightforward to clean — sweep or dust-mop daily to pick up the fine grit and pet hair that show up clearly on a dark, reflective floor. Damp-mop with a pH-neutral cleaner such as Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice or a diluted dish soap solution; avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar, which will etch grout over time and dull the tile edges. The grout joints should be sealed at installation and resealed every one to two years depending on foot traffic. A penetrating grout sealer — not a topical coating — is the right product for long-term stain resistance on a floor this dark where light-colored grout would show any discoloration clearly. For technical guidance, see the Why Tile — Ceramic Tile Distributors Association consumer guide.
Yes, sealing grout makes a real difference — unsealed grout is porous and stains permanently from mop water, spills, and soap residue. For a high-traffic floor, plan to reseal every twelve to eighteen months using a penetrating grout sealer. A quick water-bead test tells you when it’s time: if water soaks in rather than beading, the sealer has worn through.
Marshal Black is available in 600x1200mm and 800x800mm formats. The larger 600×1200 rectangle creates a more expansive, seamless look but demands a flatter subfloor — any deviation in the slab shows up as lippage at grout joints. The 800×800 square is slightly more forgiving. Both sizes require an experienced tile setter to manage lippage tolerance properly.
Marshal Black works well in living rooms, main hallways, open-plan dining areas, and primary bathrooms where the dramatic dark-marble look can be fully appreciated. It’s a harder sell in bedrooms, where the cool, hard surface underfoot is less comfortable, and in heavily shaded laundry rooms where the glossy dark surface tends to show every water spot.
The porcelain tile body itself is fully waterproof — standing water on the tile surface will not damage the tile. The grout joints are the only vulnerability; unsealed or degraded grout can absorb moisture and eventually crack. Keep grout properly sealed and Marshal Black will handle wet conditions, including bathroom floors and outdoor-adjacent spaces, without issue.
A single bathroom typically runs one to two days for installation, with an additional day before grouting once the thinset cures. A full first-floor install covering 800 to 1,200 square feet generally takes three to five days depending on subfloor condition and layout complexity. Large-format tiles like the 600×1200 add time compared to standard-format installs.
Flooring Queen installs Marshal Black throughout Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral and Naples, as well as Bonita Springs, Estero, Lehigh Acres, and surrounding communities. If you’re not sure whether your neighborhood falls within the service area, call the showroom — coverage extends well beyond Fort Myers city limits.
Flooring Queen handles large-format porcelain and ceramic tile installs across Fort Myers and Southwest Florida — substrate prep, leveling, precise layout. We do it ourselves, not subbed out. Free in-home measure: (239) 763-0770.
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Reviewed by Jack Maya, Lead Installer at Flooring Queen — 20+ years installing flooring in Southwest Florida.
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